LOL! A 'retort' is more of a sharp, angry reply than a 'rejoinder', isn't it? I'm sorry that I came off that way. I'm not angry at all, and I didn't intend to sound 'preachy'.

I hope mine didn't come across like that either. I only used retort because that is the word I saw in your post when I was replying. If you will notice the time stamp on my reply, you will note that it was near 4 in the morning and I was holding a baby in one arm and typing on a Kindle with the other.

KidArcane

Posted:
Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:38 am Post subject:

Darque wrote:

All your retort consisted of was a long list of personal preferences....
As to the fight, once again strategy wins the day. If I had thought you were anticipating my challenge I would not have made it. What is the logic of stepping into the mouth of a hungry lion, you already know the end result?

LOL! A 'retort' is more of a sharp, angry reply than a 'rejoinder', isn't it? I'm sorry that I came off that way. I'm not angry at all, and I didn't intend to sound 'preachy'.

Apparently I touched a nerve. I'm sorry. I sincerely did NOT mean to imply that Master Darque, or ANY manager, does not play fairly or correctly. Honestly, that idea never crossed my mind. I enjoy the give and take here and in the personals. I've learned a lot from other managers and I definitely don't want to needlessly alienate anyone.

In retrospect, it was a very welcome surprise to have another DM. I was (regretfully) feeling a little bitter about losing the throne after one turn, even though I strongly suspected Nova wouldn't be able to hold it. Therefore, my sour outlook upon losing the throne has surprised me.

It's embarrassing to admit, but when I am feeling a little sorry for myself, it really is all about ME. So, I apologize for the tone of my last post. I wasn't trying to tell others how to do what they do, nor was I insisting that MY way is best. I was attempting to verbalize the idea that, for MY purposes, MY way works quite well for ME. Perhaps I was also trying to remind myself of this??

That's why play by mail is better for me. If I have more time (or bother to take the time) to marshall my thoughts, I come off as a much more mature and capable person than when I simply sit down and type out the first thing that comes to mind.

Tripwire

Posted:
Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:32 am Post subject:

Nomad wrote:

Tripwire wrote:

I actually run a huge range of styles both in tourney play and in arena.

This was my last ps here in shadowspire: 9(2)-13-9-17-17-4-17

23 FE and dead :-(

Just for chits and giggles here are the graduates I have had here with base stats:

c) Lady Godiva IS the Duelmaster -- for now. But, she almost lost her last fight. Blue Nova passed out on the sands, but Godiva limped and bled all the way back to her dugout. As I said, if I had anticipated fighting a scum, the outcome would definitely have been different, even if it was a Striker vs Scum. Don't avoid me next turn; I'll make the effort to double-challenge for the throne and prove it to you.

All your retort consisted of was a long list of personal preferences. Some of us prefer to win, some of us prefer to strategize, etc. If you are preaching variety then you are preaching to the choir because I run every style on my teams round robin or not.

As to the fight, once again strategy wins the day. If I had thought you were anticipating my challenge I would not have made it. What is the logic of stepping into the mouth of a hungry lion, you already know the end result?

Nomad

Posted:
Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:04 pm Post subject:

Tripwire wrote:

I actually run a huge range of styles both in tourney play and in arena.

This was my last ps here in shadowspire: 9(2)-13-9-17-17-4-17

23 FE and dead

Just for chits and giggles here are the graduates I have had here with base stats:

Scum win and that is the long and short of it. If I'm not playing to win, why am I playing? ....maybe we should do something about all the Strikers in Shadowspire. Oh wait, that is why the scum are there! Lady Godiva is a bit offended.... She can certainly take a hit and give one too.

Hhhmmmm. Three points of... what? Contention? Retort? I don't know what I'm feeling right now, but I know I can't just let that pass.

a) Yeah, winning is fun, but it can't be my overriding motivation, or it would quickly be boring. This is just a play-by-mail game, not life. Play to have fun; enjoy the 'ambiance'. This is my perspective. I have enough planning pressures and scheming going around me all day without courting more of it. That sort of mindset wearies my soul. Being free to play any way I wish is part of the enjoyment I get from D-2. If I had to scheme and plot out every turn, I wouldn't play --- it'd be too much like work. Of course, I realize that challenges/avoids are a big part of the strategy of this game, and some people --- well, they're adept at that sort of thinking; it comes naturally to them. (C'est la vie.) Personally, I rarely give it much thought; sometimes I leave the 'avoid' and 'challenge' lines blank just because it's not worth the effort (to me) to look up every fighter and calculate my odds. A good fighter will make it to the DM throne eventually, and that's all I'm looking for here.

b) You're correct; there are many, perhaps TOO many, Strikers AND scum in the Shadowspire arena. Managers are shying away from making much of a variety of styles, particularly Aimed-Blows (waiting for the 'perfect' rollup ) or P-Strikes (boo hoo, their modes are too low ), which is a pity, as either style makes a good anti-scum fighter. (Oh wait; I have one of each on my team! ) The only reason there so many Pikers in Shadowspire is the Round Robin competition. Interesting that so many managers waited until the end of their run before starting a P-Strike. It is a tough style to win with, I guess.

c) Lady Godiva IS the Duelmaster -- for now. But, she almost lost her last fight. Blue Nova passed out on the sands, but Godiva limped and bled all the way back to her dugout. As I said, if I had anticipated fighting a scum, the outcome would definitely have been different, even if it was a Striker vs Scum. Don't avoid me next turn; I'll make the effort to double-challenge for the throne and prove it to you.

Darque

Posted:
Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:34 am Post subject:

Terminator wrote:

In the long run, it will likely hurt my w/l %, but I think I will garner much more enjoyment from the game with a different warrior. How managers find the patience to run scum for 50+ turns is beyond me. I just can't do it.

You answered your own question. Sometimes you have to look at the whole forest and not a single tree.

Darque

Posted:
Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:29 am Post subject:

KidArcane wrote:

Wow. Terminator and I agree on something!! I have never had the patience, the perseverance, nor the dogged determination to win "no matter what" --- all of which is required if one is to keep a scum in one's stable. I'd rather run a scum Basher or P-Strike! I'd rather have an A-Blow or Slasher that runs 2-3 minute fights that are full of action, even if they barely earn a 50% win/loss.

Quit the whinin' both of ya!

Scum win and that is the long and short of it. If I'm not playing to win, why am I playing? As Nomad points out, one swing fights are pretty boring too, so maybe we should do something about all the Strikers in Shadowspire. Oh wait, that is why the scum are there!

Lady Godiva is a bit offended that you would call her scum too. She has already maxxed out 2 of her relevant skills areas and hasn't burned a single skill through stat training. She can certainly take a hit and give one too. If she chooses to win a fight here and there through sheer force of will (and hit points), who am I to complain?

Kid Arcane -- I could challenge you again, but then that would not be very advantageous for me. You may get a challenge, but probably not from Lady Godiva. Remember the old proverb, any manager that finds himself in a fair fight is a poor tactician.

Nomad

Posted:
Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:42 am Post subject:

KidArcane wrote:

Terminator wrote:

How managers find the patience to run scum for 50+ turns is beyond me. I just can't do it.

Wow. Terminator and I agree on something!! I have never had the patience, the perseverance, nor the dogged determination to win "no matter what" --- all of which is required if one is to keep a scum in one's stable. I'd rather run a scum Basher or P-Strike! I'd rather have an A-Blow or Slasher that runs 2-3 minute fights that are full of action, even if they barely earn a 50% win/loss.

The fight that really bores me is the one swing fight. If I win I guess it is ok, but it is still pretty boring. One swing? What a waste of time.

Defense is just another aspect of the game. Still, a true scum isn't exciting. I much prefer someone who can parry a bit and then still swing back. So while I have run scum (Ironhead, for example) I am just as likely to take that scum ru and make a brick piker who just might swing back (Cazador, for example.) But I don't hate scum. Boring comes in many forms. Give me the warrior who can play both offense and defense and I'm happy.

As for the turn: 2-2. Missing one warrior as I was out of town and just got Ironhead's replacement a couple of days ago. The Guild should be back at 5 for next turn.
It is nice to see Syftar Traff fend off one of Darque's challenges and get back to .500. That was a long time coming.

KidArcane

Posted:
Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:47 am Post subject:

Terminator wrote:

How managers find the patience to run scum for 50+ turns is beyond me. I just can't do it.

Wow. Terminator and I agree on something!! I have never had the patience, the perseverance, nor the dogged determination to win "no matter what" --- all of which is required if one is to keep a scum in one's stable. I'd rather run a scum Basher or P-Strike! I'd rather have an A-Blow or Slasher that runs 2-3 minute fights that are full of action, even if they barely earn a 50% win/loss.

We have too many scum in Shadowspire; it's getting out of hand. My personal goal is to beat every one of them. I've beaten two with my P-Strike and Slasher, and Blue Nova ALMOST beat Lady Godiva! In fact, if I had prepped for a TP scum, I'm confident Big Blue would have taken her down. Maybe next turn?

In any case, it was a 2-3 for Search the Sky, but another free fight, for which I'm grateful. I noticed that the skills have been very scarce lately, which is irritating. I've got two fighters with 21 wit that haven't been learning more than one or two skills per fight lately, and that ain't good. But there are new teams to raise the competitive bar in Shadowspire, and that's always a welcome event!

Terminator

Posted:
Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:30 pm Post subject:

2-3 for the Warmasters, but I still consider that a successful turn due to 2 of those losses coming from the DA. I know many would criticize my decision to DA Tremerus who was a very solid scum design, but honestly I just got bored running him and couldn't stand the thought of running him for another 40-45 turns to reach graduation. Hopefully the 2 new RU's will be good ones to inject some new life into the squad.

Just for kicks, Tremerus's stats were 13(2)-20(2)-14-5(2)-21(2)-3-17(1). Tremendous Endo/Great Damage. Unfortunately he just didn't want to learn at all and simply refused to swing...EVER. Reading his fights bored me to tears and I finally decided to end the misery. In the long run, it will likely hurt my w/l %, but I think I will garner much more enjoyment from the game with a different warrior. How managers find the patience to run scum for 50+ turns is beyond me. I just can't do it.